Parshas Vayakhel

Enough!

After reading in the last three parashot about the command to build the
Mishkan / Tabernacle and its vessels, we read in this week's
parashah of the actual construction. In all, observes R' Gedalyah Schorr
z"l, there are seven parashot that discuss some aspect of the Mishkan's
construction. Likewise, we are taught that there are seven "Heavens."

The purpose of the Mishkan was to be a "home" for Hashem. With
each of these seven parashot, the Shechinah descended from one of the
seven Heavens until it reached the Mishkan.

We read in this parashah that Bnei Yisrael brought so many donations for
the Mishkan that Moshe had to proclaim, "Dai!" / "Enough!" The Gemara
says similarly that when Hashem created the universe, it would have
expanded indefinitely had He not said, "Dai" / "Enough!" (This is why one
of G-d's names is "Sha-dai.") What does this mean?

R' Schorr explains that the act of creation involved Hashem's
restricting His Light in order to make room for, i.e., to allow for
the possibility of, a physical world. However, He struck a fine
balance so that it is still possible to find Him within the physical
world. Had He not commanded the physical world to stop expanding,
that balance would have been lost and there would be no possibility of
man's recognizing G-d's Light.

In contrast to the creation of the physical world, which caused
Hashem's presence to be hidden, Bnei Yisrael's construction of the
Mishkan caused Hashem's presence to be revealed in this world. Here
too, however, there is a limit, and it was necessary to say "Enough!"
Otherwise, Hashem's Light would overwhelm us. (Ohr Gedalyahu)

"On six days, work may be done, but the seventh day shall be
holy for you, a day of complete rest for Hashem." (35:2)

Why does the Torah use the passive voice, "Work may be done,"
instead of the active voice, "You may work"? R' Moshe Shmuel Glasner
z"l (1856-1924; rabbi of Klausenberg; known as the Dor Revi'i) offers
two answers:

The Midrash states that although craftsmen from Bnei Yisrael went
through the motions of building the Mishkan / Tabernacle, the Mishkan
in fact (miraculously) stood up on its own. The Midrash says that the
same thing occurred when King Shlomo "built" the Bet Hamikdash.

We know that construction is not permitted on Shabbat, but one
might think that this type of building is allowed. Therefore the
Torah says that even passive work is permitted only on the six days of
the week, but not on Shabbat.

Alternatively, one can answer our question as follows: It is G-
d's Will that man work to earn his sustenance. However, one of man's
constant challenges is recognizing when he has worked enough to
fulfill G-d's Will and when he is working to earn money for luxuries.
The Torah uses the passive voice to emphasize that man should have a
more casual attitude towards working. Only the person who has such a
proper attitude can fulfill the next part of the verse, "the seventh
day shall be holy," says R' Glasner. A person who is too wrapped up
in his work may observe the Sabbath because he knows G-d demands it.
However, his Shabbat will never be holy.

(Shevivei Eish)

"The men came with the women; everyone whose heart motivated
him brought bracelets, nose-rings, rings, body ornaments. .
." (35:22)

The anonymous medieval commentary Da'at Zekeinim Mi'ba'alei
Ha'tosafot states: Because the women did not give their jewelry
willingly to make the Golden Calf and they did give it willingly to
make the Mishkan, they merited that Rosh Chodesh was set aside as a
holiday for women. Why Rosh Chodesh? Because the Miskhan was
assembled on Rosh Chodesh (as related in next week's parashah).

R' Yissachar Ber Rotenberg z"l (the Voidaslaver Rav in Brooklyn;
died 1988) observes: The Midrash from which the above comment is
apparently drawn does not mention that the women gave willingly for
the Mishkan, only that they did not give for the Golden Calf.
However, the Da'at Zekeinim apparently understood that the women's
mere refusal to give up their jewelry for the Golden Calf was not
sufficiently meritorious. Perhaps the women merely wanted to keep
their jewelry. Only when they willingly gave it for the Mishkan was
the righteousness of their previous behavior evident.

(Yarbeh Torah)

"But the melachah / work had been enough for all the work, to
do it -- and there was extra." (36:7)

R' Chaim bin Attar z"l (the Ohr Ha'chaim Hakadosh; died 1746)
explains: Although Bnei Yisrael donated more materials than were
needed for the Miskhan, Hashem caused a miracle to occur such that
everything that was donated was used. Why? Due to his love for Bnei
Yisrael, Hashem did not want any person to feel that his donation had
been rejected.

One could also interpret the verse in the opposite way, writes R'
Yisrael Dan Taub shlita (the Modzhitzer Rebbe in Bnei Brak) in the
name of his ancestor R' Yechezkel of Kozmir z"l. The verse could mean
that although Bnei Yisrael brought exactly enough materials for the
Mishkan, Hashem caused a miracle and there were leftover materials.

What would have been the purpose of such a miracle? R' Taub
explains that, in order to promote humility, Hashem wanted each person
to feel as if his donation had been the extra one. Why? Because the
purpose of the Mishkan was to atone for the Golden Calf. Our Sages
teach that haughtiness is a form of idol worship. Accordingly, the
atonement for idol worship is humility.

(Yad Le'banim Al Pirkei Avot p.141)

"The wise-hearted among those doing the work made the
Tabernacle . . . they made them with a ma'aseh chosheiv /
woven design of cherubs" (36:8)

Why does this verse follow immediately after the verse quoted
above, "But the work had been enough for all the work, to do it -- and
there was extra"? R' Eliyahu Hakohen z"l of Izmir (died 1729)
explains:

The Midrash states that the Mishkan stood up on its own. Thus,
all the work that had been done by the craftsmen was, in fact,
"extra." However, Hashem rewards one's sincere intention to do a
mitzvah as if he actually did the mitzvah. This is alluded to by our
verse: The work of the wise-hearted was ma'aseh chosheiv, which
literally means, "A work of thought." Although there was no need for
the work of the wise-hearted, since the Mishkan "built" itself,
nevertheless Hashem rewarded them for their thoughts.

(Semuchin L'ad)

About "Today's Learning"

Having reviewed the history of the Daf Yomi program in last
week's Hamaayan, we present here an overview of the Mishnah
Yomit, Halachah Yomit and the Talmud Yerushalmi Daf Yomi
study programs which are "advertised" in the "Today's
Learning" section on the front page of each issue of
Hamaayan.

Mishnah Yomit is a program of daily mishnah study. Every day,
participants study two mishnayot. A complete cycle through the Six
Orders of the Mishnah lasts about six years. (The last siyum /
completion occurred on this past Shemini Atzeret.) The program was
founded in 1947 by R' Yonah Shtenzel z"l as a commemoration for the
victims of the Holocaust.

Halachah Yomit is a program for the daily study of those halachot
which a Jew is most likely to need in his lifetime. A complete cycle
lasts slightly more than three years.

The Halachah Yomit cycle consists of two parts. By way of
background, the 16th century work Shulchan Aruch, the universally
accepted code of Jewish law, consists of four divisions. These are:
Orach Chaim (including laws of prayer, Shabbat and yom tov), Yoreh
Deah (including laws of kashrut, niddah, mikvah, Torah study, honoring
parents, charity, vows, and mourning), Choshen Mishpat (civil laws),
and Even Ha'ezer (marriage and divorce). The well-known work Mishnah
Berurah is a commentary on the Orach Chaim section.

The first part of the Halachah Yomit cycle involves the daily
study of three paragraphs of Orach Chaim. However, because there are
many laws that every Jew must know that are not found in Orach Chaim,
time is devoted to studying those subjects from the 19th century work
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch / the "Abridged Code of Law." This study
progresses at the rate of five paragraphs a day, although not always
consecutive paragraphs. The selection of which paragraphs of Kitzur
to study was made by the Chazon Ish z"l.

The third listing in "Today's Learning" is the Daf Yomi, the
daily study of a page of the Bavli / Babylonian Talmud. The latest
cycle began last Wednesday.

Talmud Yerushalmi Daf Yomi, the fourth listing in "Today's
Learning," is the daily study of a page of the Jerusalem Talmud (as
opposed to the more popular Talmud Bavli). There is a page for every
day except Tishah B'Av and Yom Kippur. This program was founded by
the Gerrer Rebbe, R' Simcha Bunim Alter z"l.

The editors hope these brief 'snippets' will engender further study
and discussion of Torah topics ('lehagdil Torah u'leha'adirah'), and
your letters are appreciated. Web archives at Torah.org start with 5758 (1997) and
may be retrieved from the Hamaayan page.
Text archives from 1990 through the present may be retrieved from http://www.acoast.com/~sehc/hamaayan/.

Hamaayan needs your support! Please consider sponsoring Hamaayan in honor of a happy occasion or in memory of a loved one. Did you know that the low cost of sponsorship - only $18 - has not changed in seventeen years? Donations to HaMaayan are tax-deductible.